30 Nov 2017

Trump to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in coming days
Two days after US VP Mike Pence says Trump ‘actively considering when and how’ to fulfil his campaign pledge of moving the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, reports surface that the US president is considering announcing his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital as an interim step.

Merkel is the administrator of the West’s downfall
Unlike her Christian Democratic predecessors, Chancellor Merkel has no crosses hanging on the walls of her office. She is the daughter of a Protestant pastor from the period when there was an East Germany. She never talks about “values” in public. She is the perfect mirror of a skeptical and post-Christian continent where faith has been totally privatised. Merkel has no children. Neither do most of Europe’s current leaders. To mention some, the prime ministers of Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, UK and the French President Emammuel Macron have no chlldren either. “If the Germans don’t have children, does it matter who inherits their country?”,

Palestinian rivals delay full Gaza handover by 10 days
Rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas agreed on Wednesday to delay final transfer of power of the Gaza Strip from Hamas to the Palestinian Authorit by 10 days to December 10 to allow time to “complete arrangements”, officials said.

Al Franken Asked Multiple Times If He Is A Part Of The ‘War On Women’ – Here’s How He Responded
As a humiliated Al Franken returned to Washington, D.C. this week clinging to his political life, The Daily Caller News Foundation went to Capitol Hill to ask him if he considers himself part of the “war on women.” Multiple times. His response? Run away and say, “We’re not taking hallway questions.” Franken is facing a long series of bombshell sexual harassment and serial-groper allegations by multiple women. In total, four women from different eras of Franken’s career have come forward to describe everything from unwanted groping to kissing them while they were sleeping.

Watchdog Calls for Disclosure of Congressional Members Linked to Sexual Harassment ‘Slush Fund’
A government watchdog group on Tuesday called for the disclosure of all Members of Congress who are tied to a taxpayer-funded multi-million dollar “slush fund” that includes payments to settle sexual harassment complaints on Capitol Hill. The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), a Washington, D.C.-based watchdog, said the settlement list from the Office of Compliance (OOC), which totals $17 million in payments over the last 20 years, should be released for transparency purposes and to hold public officials accountable for their actions. “Sadly, it has just come to light that for years the government spent millions in taxpayer dollars to try and quietly make sexual misconduct by lawmakers go away. That is an egregious affront to all the victims, as well as taxpayers,”

Washington Post publishes one hell of a Garrison Keillor update
Minnesota Public Radio fired longtime public radio personality Garrison Keillor on Wednesday following allegations of inappropriate behavior with a female colleague. And it was just Tuesday evening that the Washington Post published an op-ed by Keillor titled, “Al Franken should resign? That’s absurd.” … the timing of Keillor’s piece is curious enough to arouse suspicion.

Leading Democratic senators to Netanyahu: Don’t raze Palestinian Sussiya
Ten leading Democratic Senators have urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to demolish the illegal Palestinian and Beduin villages of Sussiya and Khan Al-Ahmar. “The displacement of entire communities would be an irreversible step away from a two-state solution and we urge your government to abandon its efforts to destroy these villages,” the senators said in letter they wrote on Thursday.

North Korea: Russia accuses US of goading Kim Jong-un
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused the US of seeking to provoke North Korea into stepping up its nuclear missile programme. He rejected a call by the American envoy to the UN Security Council to sever ties with the North after its latest ballistic missile test. Russia argues sanctions do not work and advocates negotiations instead.

Australia to hold royal commission inquiry into banks
Australia will hold a royal commission inquiry into its banking and financial sector, the government has announced. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the commission – Australia’s highest form of public inquiry – would help restore confidence in the sector. Australian banks have been embroiled in scandals in recent times.

Yemen war: Fighting breaks out among allied rebels
There have been deadly clashes between Yemen’s allied Houthi rebels and supporters of ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh, as tensions between them grow. Mr Saleh’s General People’s Congress (GPC) party said four people were killed in fighting at the main mosque in the capital, Sanaa, on Wednesday. It accused the Houthis of undermining their partnership.

Expanding DNA’s alphabet lets cells produce novel proteins
Scientists are expanding the genetic code of life, using man-made DNA to create a semi-synthetic strain of bacteria — and new research shows those altered microbes actually worked to produce proteins unlike those found in nature. It’s a step toward designer drug development…A team at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, expanded the genetic alphabet, creating two artificial DNA “letters” called X and Y.

OPEC, allies set to agree oil cut extension to end of 2018
OPEC and non-OPEC oil producers look poised to agree on Thursday to extend output cuts until the end of 2018 to finish clearing a global glut of crude while signaling they could exit the deal earlier if the market overheats. Non-OPEC Russia, which this year reduced production significantly with OPEC for the first time, has been pushing for a clear message on how to exit the cuts so the market doesn’t flip into a deficit too soon.

Hezbollah emerges a winner from Mideast turmoil, alarming foes
When Iran declared victory over Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, it hailed the “strong and pivotal” role played by Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement. The praise, contained in a top general’s letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader in November, confirmed Hezbollan’s pre-eminence among Shi‘ite Muslim regional groups backed by Tehran that are helping the Islamic Republic exert influence in the Middle East.

University demands people be warned about seeing a cross
World War II servicemen barely out of high school were buried under crosses as were troops who served in Korea and Vietnam. But now, one American university says that just seeing crosses can cause “emotional trauma.” That’s the subject of a new lawsuit by the Alliance Defending Freedom over a demand from Miami University of Ohio that pro-life students post warnings about their display of small crosses in the ground.

Jordanian writer dismayed over Arab contributions to world
Barack Obama never misses an opportunity to tout the accomplishments of Arabs and Muslims to the global community. Trouble is, there is hardly anything to brag about, and Mr. Obama relies on the public’s ignorance to prevent his pronouncements from being challenged.

Barbie Promotes LGBT Agenda With ‘Love Wins’ T-Shirts
As part of its marketing program, the famous toy doll Barbie, made by Mattel, is going gay and advertising a pro-sodomy agenda by wearing a t-shirt that reads, in rainbow-emblazoned letters, “Love Wins,” which is the phrase promoted by LGBT activists and their allies.